Sign the Petition to Release the 1921 Canadian Census!

The 1921 Canadian Census was released by Statistics Canada (either January or June 1st this year, government agency accounts differ) to Library and Archives Canada (LAC) for scanning and releasing to the public.

It was due for release the first week of June but with no explanation from LAC the opening was delayed.

LAC has not been forthcoming with any details or fanfare or explanation as to when we might see this census

A source at LAC revealed information that the Federal Government put the census release on indefinite hold because the only people interested were "3 little old ladies in Kingston [Ontario]"

Now, thanks to reader Bill Robinson, we have a chance to sign an online petition to request this 1921 census be released NOW. According to the LAC source it's on the servers ready to go but not available until the Government gives the okay. Let's show them that there are more than "3 little old ladies" who want to study this census and search for their ancestors!

Please share this post with others - in private emails or on appropriate forums and mailing lists (meaning please keep it on topic). Feel free to blog about the petition and provide the link for signing on your own blogs. Anyone can sign no matter where you live so I hope to see our American, British, Australian and other friends and neighbours also signing and helping to bring this census online ASAP.

Signed. Thank you setting up this link so that we can sign this petition. It is really important that we get this one released as so many of our other resources are many being limited because of privacy acts.

Can you give me the URL or a web site a fault with my system means I cannot link. I need the census to find out if 2 men survived WW1.I believed they came to Canada but whether like their brother they joined a Canadian Unit and died.

Your reaction surprised me because my maternal grandparents were born in England and they never objected to being referred to as "English" In fact Grandma referred to herself as "I'm English and proud of it"!

Lorine,Thanks for your reply. I am English and proud of it too. I was my Scottish friends who objected to just English being used.People from all over Britain including a lot of my Scottish ancestors migrated to Canada . Although we are all British wether we be English, Scottish ,Irish or Welsh we are all also very proud of our own national heritage .

I have emailed Minister Moore and signed the petition. I want this data released as much as anyone. However, I believe the statement "It was due for release the first week of June" is misleading. The Statistics Act only states the following regarding the relaxation of secrecy provisions: "18. (1) The information contained in the returns of each census of population taken between 1910 and 2005 is no longer subject to sections 17 and 18 ninety-two years after the census is taken. (3) When sections 17 and 18 cease to apply to information referred to in subsection (1) or (2), the information shall be placed under the care and control of the Library and Archives of Canada." In March 2012, LAC stated on their blog: "The 1921 Census was taken on June 1st, which means that it will be in the custody of Library and Archives Canada on June 1, 2013. Our intention is to make it available to researchers online, in the same format as previous censuses, as soon as possible after that date." (notwithstanding the fact that according to Statistics Canada the actual transfer took place in January 2013) On 4 June 2013, LAC stated on their blog and website: "Library and Archives Canada is committed to making the 1921 Census’ rich and complex information accessible and available to all Canadians, no matter where they live, in the next few weeks." To my knowledge, unfortunately the public has not officially been provided with anything more specific than that regarding the expected release date.

by Bill RobinsonPetition OrganizerBefore changing the petition to reflect the new minister:

http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/release-the-1921-census-now

I phoned Ottawa twice. Apparently a Hervieux Dery referred both calls to the Manager who actually oversees this work. Hilary Morgan at 613-894-4087 said that they are still preparing the metadata for these 200,000 images.

It seems they have a small pilot project to allow external input for the indexing, but this is one of many improvements that are still in the works. She volunteered to call me back in one to two weeks with further info.

She seemed very knowledgeable and said she knew of Lisa Dillon, for example. She seemed genuine, but unfamiliar with our petition and why we don't even have an acknowledgements of the over 3,400 emails.

I'm an incurable collector of
antiques, an avid genealogist and a messy but creative cook! I blog, i write history and genealogy books. My main genealogy website is Olive Tree Genealogy http://olivetreegenealogy.com/

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